Literary Terms A-F Flashcards
the repetition of sounds especially initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words
alliteration
device of using character and or story elements symbolically to represent all abstraction in addition to the literal meaning
allegory
a direct or indirect reference to something which is presumably commonly known, such as, an event, book, myth, place, or work of act
allusion
the multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word phrase, sentence, or passage
ambiguity
a similarity or comparison between two different things or relationship between them. it aims at explaining that idea or thing by comparing it to something that is familiar. Metaphors and similes are tools used to draw an anology. Therefore, anology is more extensive than eaither a simile or a metaphor. ex: Structure of an atom is like a solar system . Nucleus is the sun and electrons are the planets revolving aroung their sun.
analogy
the word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun
antecedent
a terse statement of known authorship which expresses a general truth or moral principal
aphorism
a figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty or love
apostrophe
the emotional mood created by the entirety of a literary work, established partly by the setting
atmosphere
a grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb
clause
the use of slang or informalities in speech or writing
colloquial
a fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects
conceit
the non literal, associative meaning of a word; the implied, suggested meaning
connotation
the strict, literal, dictionary definition of a word, devoid of any emotion, attitude, or color
denotation
referring to style, diction refers to the writer’s word choices especially with regards to their correctness, clearness, or effectiveness
diction
from the Greek for “good speech” a more agreeable or less offensive substitute for a generally unpleasant word or concept
euphemsim
from the Greek, literally means “teaching”
didactic
a metaphor developed at a great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work
extended metaphor
writing or speech that is not intended to carry literary meaning and is usually meant to be imaginative and vivid
figurative language
a device used to produce figurative language
figure of speech
is derived from a Greek word asyndeton which means uncorrected. It is a stylistic device used to intentionally eliminate conjunctions between the phrases and the sentences, yet maintain the grammatical accuracy. Asyndeton helps in speeding up the rhythm of words ex: “This is the villain annoying you, who deceived you, who cheated you, who meant to betray you completely
asyndeton
is derived from a Greek word that means turning upon, which indicates the same word returns at the end of each sentence ex: Hourly joys be still upon
epistrophe
In rhetoric, ethos represents credibility or an ethical appeal which involves persuasion by the character involved.
ethos
Antithesis, literal meaning opposite, is a rhetorical device in which two opposite ideas are put together in a sentence to achieve a contrasting effect. Antithesis emphasizes the idea of contrast by parallel structures of the contrasted phrases or clauses, i.e. the structures of phrases and clauses are similar in order to draw the attention of the listeners or readers. For example: “Setting foot on the moon may be a small step for a man but a giant step for mankind.” The use of contrasting ideas, “a small step” and “a giant step”, in the sentence above emphasizes the significance of
antithesis
